All Rise...

Editor's Note

The Charge

Serve. Protect. Lie.

Opening Statement

Dito Montiel's The Son of No One marks the third collaboration between
the filmmaker and Hollywood star Channing Tatum (The
Vow). While the two seem to be getting along very well on a professional
level, their efforts certainly don't always pay off. Case in point: The Son
of No One only scored a tiny theatrical release, barely made any money, and
faced one negative critical review after another. Somewhere deep within this
disappointing crime drama lies a promising concept, but Montiel's script barely
shows any signs of hope or appeal. In short, this film is the epitome of a
missed opportunity.

Facts of the Case

The Son of No One is set in New York just a few months after the 9/11
attacks. Tatum slips into the role of Jonathan White, a young NYPD officer
recently assigned to the precinct covering his old neighborhood, the
Queensbridge projects in Queens. Struggling with a guilty conscience linked to a
dark past, Jonathan's life takes a turn for the worse when he's forced to look
into an unsolved double homicide dating back to 1986. Before he knows it,
Jonathan finds himself caught in a web of police cover-ups, terrifying memories,
and a slew of secrets that could instantly destroy his life and his family.

The Evidence

Despite its good intentions, The Son of No One fails to generate
moderate interest or suspense, because it is too busy wrestling with illogical,
tedious storytelling. Not much of what you get to experience during the film's
94-minute run time makes any sense. In fact, every time you feel the plot
possibly heading in a more compelling direction, things take a turn for the
worse. Montiel's writing makes it very hard for spectators to remotely care
about any of the movie's characters or their obstacles, focusing instead on
constantly switching back and forth between slow-moving segments set in 2002 and
gritty flashbacks from 1986. Structurally, The Son of No One just doesn't
work.

As the opening scenes reveal, Jonathan is the man responsible for the
murders now suddenly coming back to haunt him. No spoilers here, because the
film makes sure that's the first thing we find out about this guy. Anyway,
strange letters accusing the NYPD of covering up those very murders start
showing up at Jonathan's precinct, further messing with his head. If the secret
gets out, he could lose his job, his wife, and his kid, and things may never be
the same. Although this is clearly the point at which The Son of No One
should kick into a high gear and take things to the next level, the film does
quite the opposite by slowing down and dragging out a story that has no idea how
to evolve.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

I have no idea how Montiel pulled it off, but he managed to book Tatum, Tracy
Morgan, Katie Holmes, Ray Liotta, Juliette Binoche, AND Al Pacino for this
thing. Even though this sounds too good to be true, all of these actors get a
decent amount of screen time, and most deliver surprisingly decent performances.
Morgan and Pacino stand out the most, with Holmes and Liotta close behind. Tatum
does what he can with a rather shallow character, but the moustache he's
sporting makes it a tad more difficult to take him seriously. With a better
script, this group of fine actors could've done a whole lot more with The Son
of No One.

On a technical note, Anchor Bay put together a solid standard definition
DVD. The film boasts a sharp, clean 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer
sporting vibrant colors and appropriate black levels. Audio is provided through
a solid Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround track. Bonus features include a few deleted
scenes and an audio commentary featuring Montiel and editor Jake Pushinsky. Not
the most riveting commentary, but they do occasionally touch on something
interesting during their analysis.

Closing Statement

The Son of No One is a pretty chaotic cop drama that tries to morph
into a thriller but desperately fails. The ensemble cast has what it takes, but
Montiel's script just isn't worth your time. Messy, chaotic, and nonsensical,
The Son of No One tells a story without real purpose; a predicament many
films can't recover from.